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Identity Theft
Chapter 6
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Identity Theft
The United States Department of Justice defines identity theft as “a crime in which someone wrongfully obtains or uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.” This crime has been steadily on the rise, especially with the growing popularity of the Internet for buying products and online banking. Although this crime is devastating to everyone, it can be even more so for servicemembers. Beginning in the 1960s, servicemembers’ and their family members’ Social Security numbers were printed on their identity cards, making the numbers especially vulnerable to theft. In 2008, the military recognized that this practice caused servicemembers to be at risk for identity theft and began phasing out printing Social Security numbers on servicemembers’ identity cards. Since 2012, servicemembers have been issued a new ID card without the Social Security number printed on the back. Instead, servicemembers are assigned a DOD number that is unique to them and associated with their Social Security number. Because each military base is different, there may still be some servicemembers who have outdated ID cards. If so, servicemembers may want to work with their administrative officer to obtain an updated card that doesn’t put them at risk for identity theft.The consequences of identity theft require a great deal of time, money and energy to handle properly. It has potentially more serious implications for servicemembers because credit worthiness is linked to security clearances. If a servicemember’s identity is stolen, he or she may potentially lose their security clearance.
Free Annual Credit Reports
unless you have a need for the additional services, like a credit score, that they provide. Truly free credit reports by each of the three major credit reporting agencies can be obtained once per year at
www.annualcreditreport.com.
Identity Theft Prevention
